The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is hosting the 2026 Utah Prairie Dog Surveyor Training to help ensure the quality and consistency of surveys conducted for the federally threatened species. The training session aims to increase the number of qualified surveyors to improve knowledge regarding the species' distribution and to assist with Endangered Species Act consultation and compliance.
The training is scheduled for May 28 through May 29, 2026. The first day, Thursday, May 28, will consist of an all-day in-person classroom session held at Festival Hall in Cedar City, Utah. The second day, Friday, May 29, will feature an all-day field session located within the surrounding habitat areas of the species range.
Registration for the training is limited and requires completing a specific registration form. Registered participants will be notified of their enrollment status in mid-May. New trainees are required to attend both the classroom and field sessions. Additionally, any individual or organization conducting surveys must have completed the training and obtained a certification card, as surveys conducted by untrained individuals or those using outdated protocols are considered invalid.
The training focuses on the identification of Utah prairie dogs and their habitat, utilizing the Utah Prairie Dog Occupancy and Habitat Survey Protocol, which was updated in June 2018. Individuals who attended the 2025 training do not need to attend in 2026, as their certification cards remain valid until early spring 2029. However, those not attending must still ensure they are using the most recent survey protocols and data sheets.
Notably, all trainees who attended the survey training in 2021 or prior years no longer hold valid certification cards and must attend the current training to conduct surveys for this field season.
The primary purpose of the occupancy and habitat surveys is to determine if Utah prairie dogs inhabit a proposed project area to assess whether proposed actions may affect the species. For questions regarding the training, individuals can contact Samuel Schratz at samuel_schratz@fws.gov.
